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Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Alexa's YA Prom: Real or Not Real?

Today's the day, y'all - it's PROM DAY! Gaby & I hope that you're geared up to share your dream YA prom with us, as we're very excited to share our posts with you. Without further ado, I present to you my YA prom!

Well, really, it's proms, plural. One's a "dream YA prom" scenario, and the other one's the "real YA prom" scenario. If you want to understand why I've listed them as so, you can read the short (ish) story I'm including at the end of this post! (This is obviously my version of a loophole.)

(3) The Theme: Masquerade (Who doesn't love the mystery of a good masquerade?)

And now, just for kicks, here is a photo from my real prom night:

And because it matters most, meet my prom date for the rest of my life:

Don't forget to add your link to the Linky too:

Now, that's basically the actual YA Prom post I've made, but I was a little inspired by dreaming up these prom scenarios that I ended up writing a bit of story to go with it. (And to explain the two scenarios.) You can read it below if you like!

Once upon a time...

There was a girl who sat on a window seat, gazing at the midnight blue sky sprinkled with a dusting of stars. Tomorrow was a day that she was both dreading and anticipating - prom day, or as she and her friends affectionately referred to it, P-Day. It seemed she had been waiting her whole teenaged life for this moment to come. And it was finally, finally here... But not quite what she had expected.

What had she expected really? Had she expected to be swept off her feet by a cute guy asking her to prom with an extravagant prom proposal? Had she imagined finding the perfect dress, one that fit her like a glove, one that would draw all eyes to her?

Well, yes, this was her dream, and well, neither one of these things had happened, unfortunately. She'd found a dress that made her feel great, but it didn't 100% give her that magical "feel like a princess" vibe. And she most definitely did not have a date, unless you counted her best friend Jaymee (who obviously counted because they'd been BFFs for life).

Still, the longing for the prom of her dreams lingered. It was the last thing on her mind as she laid back against a pile of pillows and drifted off to sleep.

I walked with you once upon a dream.

"Alexa!"

The frantic yell jolted her out of sleep. She blinked twice, before rubbing her fists against her eyes and letting loose a yawn. The sunlight felt warm on her face, and she smiled. It was prom day! Even though she didn't exactly have everything going according to her dream prom plans, it was still going to be a ton of fun.

The door crashed open, framing her best friend Jaymee. Jaymee stood there for a moment, gulping air as she caught her breath. Alexa stared at her, eyebrows raised as she waited for Jaymee to speak.

"You will never guess what happened!" Jaymee finally said, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright as she stalked into Alexa's room and commandeered her desk chair.

"What is it?" Alexa asked, swinging her legs over so she was sitting up and facing her friend.

Alexa bolted out of the room and took the stairs down two at a time, Jaymee trailing behind her. She hung a right at the bottom and dashed into the living room.

“NO. FREAKING. WAY.”

Her eyes studied the glittery gown that hung on a mannequin in her living room. It was the dress she’d always dreamed of wearing at her prom, one that she felt was perfect for her figure and made her feel like she was a princess.

“SURPRISE!”

Her mom and dad came into the room behind Jaymee, grinning ear to ear.

“How in the-“

“Now, now, no time for questions. It’s time for a shower, then nails, makeup, hair. You still have your silver sandals?”

Alexa nodded mutely, still shocked as Jaymee and her mom propelled her out of the living room and back up the stairs.

A few hours later, Alexa and Jaymee had been pampered completely – nails done, makeup impeccable, hair perfect. They had slipped into their dresses in Alexa’s room, giggling over the site of each other all dressed up.

“You know what would make this night even better? A date.” Alexa proclaimed.

Jaymee nudged her lightly, “Well, you’ll have me and Ephy with you.”

“But you lovebirds are going to want to be alone at some point. And who am I supposed to dance with during those slow songs they always play?”

“Me.” Jaymee giggled, as she took Alexa’s hands and playfully began waltzing her around the room.

“Jaaaaaaym.” Alexa tried to sound bothered, but she couldn’t hide her smile.

“Lexi, you look beautiful. I’m pretty sure the guys are going to flock to you when they see you. They won’t know what hit them!”

The doorbell rang.

“Ooh, that must be Ephy!” Jaymee squealed. “How do I look?”

“Beautiful.” Alexa declared.

“Let’s go!” Jaymee said, looping her arm through Alexa’s and tugging her down the stairs.

Alexa was busy concentrating on each step, trying to make certain she wouldn’t trip. Just as they reached the bottom step, Jaymee abruptly let go of her arm (presumably to go greet Ephy) and Alexa found herself falling…

“Got you.”

Alexa looked up into a pair of copper-colored eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, once, twice. Those eyes, they were so familiar…

“CHAOL?” She finally remembered herself, and recognized him too.

“Hi.” He said, grinning at her.

“Hi. What are you-“ She suddenly realized he looked really nice, dressed up in a suit and bearing a corsage in his free hand.

“Well, I knew I was going to be back in town this weekend. And my mom mentioned that it was prom, and I thought – I wanted to ask if – well – will you let me be your prom date?”

The question hung in the air between them. Alexa gaped at him. Chaol was a family friend, one she’d known since she was little and was still very close to even though he was away training to be in the military now. She’d had a crush on him for the longest time, but the feelings had seemingly disappeared while he was gone. Clearly, judging from her racing heartbeat and the flush she felt in her cheeks, that was not the case.

“Lexi, I think you need to answer Chaol’s question.” Jaymee smirked, her arm tucked into Ephy’s. The two of them were standing right next to Alexa’s parents, who had knowing grins on their faces.

Alexa’s cheeks got redder, but she replied, “Yes.”

Chaol grinned, taking her right hand in his and squeezing it a second before he slipped a corsage of miniature pink roses onto her wrist. “That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day.”

Alexa smiled, even though her mind (and her heart) were going crazy.

After the photos had been taken, the limo was boarded, champagne was poured and they rode the 20 minutes to the plantation where the prom was going to be held this year. Alexa regained her composure a bit, able to freely converse with Chaol, who slid right into their little group as if he’d always been a part of it.

They finally arrived at the plantation, circling into the driveway that pulled up to the front of the beautiful old building. It was awash in the glow of soft white lighting offered by the spotlight, marred only by the banner that hung from the second floor balcony that announced the senior prom.

“After you.” Chaol said after the four of them had gotten out of the limo. Alexa beamed at him, and entered through the open doorway. The faint strains of music led her down the front hallway and through the doors into the house’s ballroom. She stopped short at the sight that met her eyes.

The theme of the prom was fairy tales. The tall pillars, soft white cloth banners draped on the ceiling, the gold and silver furniture, the muted colorful lighting, the impressive array of food and drink and girls in dazzling dresses and boys in smart tuxes – everything just seemed like a dream.

“It’s so beautiful.” Alexa said, her voice conveying her awe.

She turned around to find Chaol looking at her thoughtfully, a small smile turning up the corners of his mouth. Jaymee and Ephy had, most predictably, disappeared right away and left the two of them alone.

“What?” She asked when he didn’t break the silence.

“Nothing.” He said lightly, taking her arm and entering the room with her. “Shall we dance?”

Is this the real life?

“ALEXA!”

The door to Alexa’s room was thrown open, and her best friend Jaymee ran in and threw herself onto the bed.

“Why in the world are you here at-“ Alexa glanced at her desk clock, squinting to read the numbers, “-10:00AM? And interrupting my amazing prom dream?"

“Because, because, because I am the BEST friend ever and have the BEST news ever.”

“What is it? Did the boy of your dreams ask you to prom?”

Alexa paused when she saw her friend blushing and ducking her head.

“OH MY GOD HE DID! I am so thrilled for you!” Alexa yelled, running over to the bed to hug her friend.

“I still kind of can’t believe it! BUT that’s not what I came here to say. Okay, not the only thing I came here to say.”

“Well, what can be more exciting that you getting a prom date with the boy of your dreams?”

“Mom caught a flight early today. And she brought us a little something special!”

Alexa raised an eyebrow, waiting for her friend to reveal the surprise.

“You’re no fun! You’re supposed to guess!” Jaymee said with a pout.

“I suck at guessing. We know this.”

Jaymee rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She paused for a moment, “She brought home a trunk and it’s full of –“

“DRESSES!” They yelled at the same time.

“I know you liked your prom dress, but I think there’s a very, very good chance that you’re going to find something you love in that trunk.” Jaymee added.

Alexa raised her eyebrow again, a question in her gaze.

“You’ll see! Come on, let’s go and dig through the stash!”

“I need to change first!”

“Girl, I thought ahead and had the trunk brought over to your house. We just need to get downstairs!”

Without another moment of hesitation, the girls ran from the room, down the stairs and into the living room, where Jaymee’s mom was busy unpacking the dresses and chatting with Alexa’s mom.

“Thank you so much for bringing these dresses for us!” Alexa said, walking over to Jaymee’s mom to give her a hug.

“Well, my favorite girls deserve an amazing dress to wear to prom. One that makes them feel like the star of their own movie.”

Alexa could not agree more, and joined Jaymee at the coffee table where she was rifling through the dresses.

And oh, these dresses were beautiful. There were long dresses and short dresses, there were dresses with tulle, and dresses of chiffon, and dresses of silk. There were sparkles, and patterns, and colors for days. Alexa and Jaymee made quick work of the piles, as Jaymee’s mom continued to unload.

Jaymee had settled on a black dress, cut low in the back and with a sparkly belt adorning her waist. Alexa had liked a few dresses, but still didn’t feel like she’d found the one she really wanted.

“This is the last one.” Jaymee’s mom said, carefully unwrapping the tissue around the dress.

The moment she saw the blue and sparkle, she knew this was the one. As Jaymee’s mother shook it out and displayed it for the girls, Alexa was already nodding her head and reaching out for it.

“Which he figured out last minute – so there. No more buts from you missy!”

Alexa mimed zipping her lips, locking them and tossing the key away.

The doorbell rang.

Jaymee’s eyes were alert, and she started patting her hair nervously. “How do I look?”

“Beautiful.”

“You look beautiful too.” Jaymee said, as she got up from the bed.

“Wait, wait, wait!”

“What?”

“I’m not ruining the full effect of him seeing you come down the stairs. Give me a two minute head start, and then come down.”

“You’re being ridiculous!”

“Trust me.” Alexa squeezed her friend’s hand before leaving her room.

She descended the stairs slowly, one hand on the railing, the other holding onto her clutch. Her eyes stayed on the steps, making sure to take her time to avoid any unfortunate falls.

She reached the bottom and sighed in relief. “That was a bit of a trial.” She mumbled, smoothing out her dress.

“It seemed pretty effortless to me.”

Alexa’s heart leapt into her throat at the sound of his voice. “Sam.”

Their eyes met, and it was like everything stilled around them. She could hear her heat beating hard – thump thump, thump thump. It took her a moment to regain her composure, though her fingers tightened around her clutch.

“What are you doing here?”

“Well, I couldn’t very well let my best friend go to prom without a date, now could I? So I drove up from school.”

She realized at that moment that he was dressed up in a tuxedo, bearing a single purple-blue rose in his hands. A hand flew to her mouth, covering the little gasp of joy that escaped. Sam had always been her dream date to prom ever since she’d realized how she felt about him – and he was here.

“So, will you allow me to be your prom date?” He asked softly. She met his eyes, meeting the earnest familiar gaze that she’d known for years and years now.

“Of course.”

He smiled at her, and held out the rose. She took it, bringing it up to her nose for a sniff. When she set it down, she smiled back at him.

“Thank you for coming here, and for taking me to prom.”

“Anything for you.”

After Jaymee discovered Sam had come to escort Alexa to prom as her date, and she climbed back up the stairs and waited for Ephy to arrive before descending, the four of them piled into a limo with their other friends Bianca, Pam and Kevin. They grabbed dinner at the swankiest place in town, toasted with champagne in the limo and finally pulled up in front of the school gym.

“I’m still not convinced they’ll be able to make this a proper masquerade.” Alexa murmured to Sam.

“Well, we won’t know until we go in now, will we? Have you got your mask?”

Alexa nodded, showing him the black lacy mask with swirls lined in blue glitter that she held in her hand.

“Here, let me.” He took the mask and carefully placed it on her face, his fingers resting lightly on her temple before tracing the ribbons to the back of her head. Her breath caught and she held it as he tied the ribbon just tight enough so it wouldn’t fall off.

“Good?”

“Good.” She choked out, dropping her gaze.

He put on his black half-mask before taking her arm.

“Off to the masquerade!” He declared, falling in line behind Bianca and Pam.

The wait to enter the gym didn’t take all that long at all, and before she knew it, Sam was sweeping her through the gymnasium’s double doors. What awaited them was a wondrous site! Minimal lighting, candles everywhere, black chandeliers and gold drapery hanging from the ceiling, long tables of gold and dark wood with food and drink, and a circular dance floor in front of a stage. Accents of red were sprinkled everywhere, with unworn masks and flowers.

“It’s beautiful.” She sighed, drinking it all in deeply.

When she turned, Sam was staring at her. He reached out his hand to cup the back of her head.

“You’re beautiful.” He said softly.

She was mesmerized by the way the lights danced in his eyes, and took a step closer, caught up in the moment. Reality slammed her back into her senses he said her name.

She stepped back, a blush rising on her cheeks that she hoped he wouldn’t notice. His hand slipped away from her head and hung at his side, and she missed the touch more than she wanted to admit.

“I-“

“Shall we dance?” Sam asked, smiling.

“Since when do you dance?” Alexa smirked.

“Since I thought about taking you to prom.” He replied instantly, letting the statement hang in the air between them.

“You – you thought about this? About taking me?”

Sam merely smiled. “I did. I’ve been thinking about it since senior prom last year.”

With that, he took her hand and tugged her towards the dance floor. “Let’s dance.”

I hope you enjoyed reading my little story, and props to you if you've made it this far!

What a super fun idea! Love looking at everyone's prom pics. The gold dress you chose is stunning & I could totally see you wearing that, Alexa. I'm noticing a trend in this gold dress this among the other posts and I am really, really liking it ;)

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Hi, I'm Alexa! 29 years old, married to the love of my life, resident of New York. Extremely passionate about books, adventures and the importance of dessert. Hope you stick around a while and enjoy a blog post or two! (PS - Here are my review & blog policies.)